For decades, the building at 5728 Patterson Avenue handled a lot of Westhampton's holiday errands. You picked up the cake order and the cookie tray there, then walked next door for a hostess gift. This December the 1949 building sits empty at the corner of Libbie and Patterson, and a sale listing is out on the property.
The errands still exist, but they now happen in other places. The bakery moved to Three Chopt Road and the gift shop moved to Huguenot Road. The Avenues' biggest December dates now fall at the two ends of the district: St. Stephen's on Grove Avenue and the Santa Breakfast on Patterson. Here's how the season works with a vacant building at its center.
What's Approved for 5728 Patterson, and What Comes Next
Richmond BizSense reported on September 24 that the former Westhampton Pastry Shop building had been listed for sale. The 0.3-acre parcel belongs to a family partnership tied to the Frayser and Robins families. Last spring the families won a special-use permit for a new office and retail building on the site. Then they decided they might not be the best group to lead the redevelopment.
Any buyer gets the approved plan along with the land. Here is how that plan compares with what stands there now:
| The building today | The approved plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | Built in 1949 | New construction |
| Size | About 8,300 square feet | About 29,000 square feet of office space plus ground-floor commercial space |
| Height | Code Refresh marks the lot MX-3, which allows up to three stories | The special-use permit allows four stories |
| Extras | None | Outdoor dining area and a 24-space covered parking lot |
The city most recently assessed the property at $2.4 million, and $1.7 million of that is the land. The land is worth more than twice the building, so most of the assessed value is in the corner itself. Scott Frayser told BizSense the building needed so much work that building new made more financial sense.
The four-story plan isn't guaranteed. Frayser said the families hope to find a buyer who will develop the building and also use it, and that they haven't ruled out building it themselves if the right deal doesn't come along. "We want whatever gets done there to be done right, and be an asset to the area, not an eyesore," he told BizSense. As of publication, no sale has been announced.
So the building will stay vacant through this holiday season, and the errands it used to handle have moved elsewhere.
The Holiday Tray Order Now Means a Drive to Three Chopt
Westhampton Pastry Shop moved to the Regency area this year to make way for the redevelopment. Its new address is 8903 Three Chopt Road, Suite E, in Henrico, and the bakery's own website says it's open there.
Before the reopening, 12 On Your Side reported that customers would find the same setup out front: cookie and cake cases and a refrigerated case. The new shop has more space and more parking. The station also reported that the shop often gives children a butter star cookie.
You still order the old-fashioned way. Here's what to know before you call:
- No online orders. The bakery asks customers to call 804-282-4413 or come in, and that includes custom cakes and holiday trays.
- Hours. Tuesday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The shop is closed Sunday and Monday and suggests checking for holiday hours.
- Seasonal items. The menu lists Chocolate Ice Box Pie from September through Easter, plus party-size butter biscuits for holiday ham biscuits.
- Year-round favorites. Radio Bars, iced-over cupcakes, brownies, cream horns, cinnamon buns, Philadelphia buns, eclairs and cream puffs, along with scratch pies, coffee cakes and Danish.
Call early for anything you need by Thanksgiving or Christmas, and remember the shop is closed on Mondays when you plan a pickup the week before Christmas.
The Gift Shopping Went Two Directions
Gild and Ash, the home decor and gift shop that shared the Patterson building for years, also left ahead of the redevelopment. Richmond Magazine reported its move to 5021 Huguenot Road in the River Road II Shopping Center. The shop marked its first year at the new location on September 10, so this is its second holiday season on Huguenot.
Meanwhile, two shops on the Avenues themselves have filled in some of that gift shopping:
- Elsie Frieda, a jewelry maker, opened its first walk-in store in May 2026 at 5804 Grove Avenue, in the former Paper Plus space at Libbie and Grove. Richmond BizSense reported regular hours of Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Westbrook & Friends, at 308A Libbie Avenue, sells antiques and home furnishings, including furniture, estate jewelry, antique silver, art and decor. Richmond Magazine covered the shop in late December 2025.
Gift shopping on the Avenues hasn't disappeared. It has moved a few blocks up Libbie and over to Grove, while the shop many people associated with the Patterson corner is now a short drive toward the river. For more on how longtime local operators keep reshaping these blocks, see our earlier post on the people rewriting the Avenues.
Two December Dates Bookend the District
The Avenues' holiday calendar this year rests on two events, one at each end of the district.
- Wednesday, December 2, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. The St. Stephen's Christkindlmarket fills St. Stephen's Episcopal Church at 6000 Grove Avenue. The holiday craft fair is hosted by the Farmers Market @ St. Stephen's and uses both fellowship halls, the courtyard and the Café @ St. Stephen's. More than 20 local artisans take part, with food trucks, festive drinks and carolers. The church's May Fair House shop, known for its prepared foods, will be open too. Admission and parking are free, and you don't need a ticket. Event details are on the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia's calendar.
- Every Saturday in between. The St. Stephen's Farmers Market runs year-round. From October through April it's open 9 a.m. to noon, and it skips only the Saturday after Christmas.
- Saturday, December 12, 8 to 10 a.m. The Westhampton Business Association, which goes by Westhampton RVA, holds its annual Santa Breakfast at Westwood Fountain Diner, 5823 Patterson Avenue. Santa will be there for wish lists and photos, and the breakfast special of a pancake, bacon and two eggs costs $7.99. After breakfast, a free holiday trolley makes continuous loops through the Avenues all day, with stops for shopping. The association's events page has the details.
The trolley is the part to plan around. A free loop running all day lets you leave the car parked while you visit Elsie Frieda on Grove, Westbrook & Friends on Libbie and the restaurants along the way. On Saturday, December 12, the drive to Three Chopt for a tray order and the trolley loop on the Avenues fit into the same morning.
Before the Christkindlmarket comes Small Business Saturday on November 28, so check with individual shops on the Avenues about their plans. For a broader look at shops and daily routines here, our Near West End neighborhood page covers more of the area.
The Libbie and Patterson corner will look the same all season, with the 1949 building, the sale listing and the approved four-story plan that may or may not be built. Whoever buys it will decide what this corner offers future holiday seasons.
If you own a home near Libbie and Patterson and wonder how the corner's future could affect your block, Gary Martin is happy to walk through it with you over a Radio Bar. Let's talk about your Richmond home.
